Learning to shoot with iron sights was the only option I had while shooting Campbell’s soup cans with my Red Ryder. The older guys had the really cool scopes on their deer rifles. Wanting to look cool, I made my first scope out of a paper towel roll, some string and a whole bunch of scotch tape. It looked cool to my buddies, but as far as durability and usefulness, well let’s just say when the Red Ryder fell over the scope was all but out of commission. I didn’t know it, but my home made scope was the beginning of what I know would call a full on addiction to scopes and 1X optics.
Fast forward a few years and I found myself on the 500 yard line with USMC PMI teaching me how to get hits with iron sights on my M16A2. Learning how to get the most out of Iron sights allowed me to achieve greater results out of a scoped rifles.
Fast forward a few more years I found myself in different uniform driving around in a patrol car. I watched the television in horror as two heavily armed and armored men kept the LAPD at bay during the North Hollywood shootout. The weapons issued did not have the capability to neutralize the threat. My brothers in blue heroically used their 9mm pistols and 12-gauge shotguns to pin them down until SWAT arrived with better tools.
The cry was heard around the world. “We need rifles.” My department complied and issued a 9mm carbine — a Band-Aid on sucking chest wound. ?Better than a handgun, but not the M16 style we were hoping for. The iron sights were terrible. The ghost ring rear, front blade combination was a nightmare to teach cops to use. The guys who had military experience were good to go. To some they had a hard time figuring out which front sight to use. Huh? That’s right some thought even after training, the protective wings were sights also. I can’t make this stuff up.
The Solution
A parallax-free red dot. We mounted one on the carbine and put it out at open ranges for officers to try. The results were amazing. I watched one officer shoot out the X ring at 50 yards with the red dot. With the iron sights it looked like he used a shotgun.
Up until this experiment only SWAT was privy to these very sexy tools. “Too high speed for patrol cops.” Really, who are the first responders? How long does it take for SWAT to get here? Optics and mounts were ordered and training curriculums were drawn up.
Choices
The North Hollywood incident and a few other less known events got us the patrol rifle. The war on terrorism expanded the 1X red market. We now had several manufacturers making battle tested optics. They are very durable and user friendly. Put the red dot on your target and press the trigger. I’m not sure it can get any simpler. Lots of other marksmanship principles still apply, but that’s the gist of it.
I have had the opportunity to spend some time with three 1X red dot optics during the last few weeks. The L3 Communications EOTech 553, the Aimpoint COMPM4 and the Insight Technology IMS-V. All three are zero magnification and zero parallax systems with mounts designed for the Picatinny 1913 rail system. Each system had adjustable levels of brightness for any type of lighting conditions.
EOTech 553
The EOTech 553 is specificity designed for Military and law enforcement only. One look at it and you know it is built to take abuse. The heads-up-display window is not round like traditional optics, it’s square shaped. The illuminated 65 minute ring with vertical and horizontal stadia and a one MOA dot in the center is easily picked up in the center of the aiming window. The square window also allows for a larger field of view.
The dual type reticle allows for very fast and accurate CQB type shots and precision longer range ones. I have spent a lot of time practicing with this sight and it performs as advertised. The aiming process becomes unconscious. With a 50 yard dope, targets are easily engaged up close and as far as 300 yards. I have experimented with framing the window without the reticle turned on and was able to consistently get hits out to 100. The groups were not great, but hits they were. If flip up or co-witnessed iron sights are used. The system is close to flawless.
The optic runs on two 3-volt lithium batteries. Run time is spec’d at 1,100 hours and will give a low battery indicator by flashing the reticle at start-up. The system is somewhat cop proof, it will automatically shutdown after eight continuous hours of use. If you have a protocol to change your batteries at selected intervals the battery life issue should never be a problem. The 553 is also NVG compatible.
Aimpoint COMP4
The COMP4 reflex sight was also specifically designed to take the abuse of military and law enforcement use. Easily adjustable to various weapon systems, the COMP4 works similar to the 553. The round tube is parallax free and works best while using both eyes open. Having both eyes open allows for greater situational awareness. You see more of the world with both eyes open than with one eye closed. With practice it also becomes very natural.
The two MOA dot has 16 adjust ?ment settings, seven are for NVDs, eight for daylight and one is extra bright. The run time is truly amazing — over eight years of continuous use at position 12 of 16 and over three years at positon 13 of 16. If only used at NVD settings about 500,000 hours. All this with only one AA battery.
In the limited time I have spent using the COMP4 it has proven to be very easy to use and ultra accurate and reliable.
Insight Technologies ISM-V
Also following the previous two 1X red dot optics, The ISM-V is built to take a beating it uses a two MOA adjustable dot. It also offers a visible aiming laser. The aiming laser works best in low light conditions. I had a very difficult time using it during day light. The time it took me to eventually find it would have been better spent using the red dot and shooting.
The ISM-V took a little time to figure out. I would suggest using the owner’s manual. I know it’s not a guy thing to do, but it will cut down on the learning curve. After I followed directions, the device was now user friendly
The unit is powered by one 3-volt lithium battery with a runtime of 500 hours red dot and seven hours using the visible laser.
Liability Reducer
Having an attorney attached to every round fired I can’t think of any reason to not have an optic on a patrol rifle. Anything to improve hits over misses can’t be overlooked. Having iron sights as a back-up is highly recommended. Even with the extended run times, we know Murphy always looks for an opportunity to show up and do his thing. There is no substitute for training. The optic will make some shooters better, but it won’t fix poor tactics.
If admin cries about the cost to outfit your patrol rifles, remind them about how much one civil suit could cost.
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